Percy and the Problem with James
by DonaldDouglasandToby6
Summary: James' teasing gets the better of him when Percy decides he's had enough when James says he isn't worthy of Tidmouth Sheds.


One day, Percy was shunting some trucks at Ffarquhar to take to the Ffarquhar Quarry. He was cross that day; at Knapford Junction, James had teased him about losing some trucks in Ulfstead Mine.

"Bossy boiler…" muttered Percy as he biffed the trucks into place. They grunted as they bashed into each other.

Daisy purred into the station.

"Oh hello Percy. You seem rather stressed." she observed.

Percy just grunted in response as he shunted the brakevan.

"Would you like to talk about it?" Daisy asked.

There was no response as Percy coupled up to the trucks. The guard gave his whistle and Percy puffed away to the quarry.

"Something's not right," muttered Daisy to herself.

In the afternoon, Percy was still fuming as he puffed into Knapford with some passenger coaches.

James was there as his connection to the Main Line.

This didn't make Percy feel any better.

James smirked as Percy puffed into the station.

"Well, hello Percy! You didn't lose any trucks this time right?" he joked.

Percy let off steam indignantly and covered James in quarry dust.

"Oh, my paintwork!" cried James.

"Serves you right," grinned Percy.

James was furious as Percy puffed away.

"The nerve!" he grumbled.

"He's got a point you know." said Donald from the other platform.

James looked over crossly.

"Ye have been snobbier than usual lately. I say the wee engine was right to put ye in yer place." and Donald puffed away.

James was taken aback by Donald's words.

That night, Ffarquhar Sheds was under repair, so Percy slept at Tidmouth.

The engines greeted him warmly, minus James.

"It's not right to have a tank engine here!" he fumed, "This shed is for tender engines!"

The other engines glared at him, particularly Percy.

That shut the red engine up.

The next morning, Percy returned to the branch line, trying to think of something to teach James a lesson.

"First he kept on scaring me with that Scrap Monster, then he teases me about my incident at Ulfstead, and now he says I can't sleep at Tidmouth! Something has to be done." he exclaimed.

"I don't think it's right either, but he'll learn eventually." said his driver.

"He hasn't learned anything!" spluttered Percy.

His driver thought for a moment.

"Hmm… maybe there is a way we can put that bossy boiler in his place…"

Percy was intrigued.

"Really? What's your plan?"

"You'll see," winked the driver.

That night, Percy backed into Tidmouth Sheds.

"What's your plan?" questioned Percy again.

The driver chuckled.

"It's simple really; we just get an engine to take James' place in the sheds. Then we'll see who 'isn't worthy.'"

Percy liked this idea, but had a thought.

"Which engine?"

"That I already figured out." explained the driver, "Emily's coming here since Ffarquhar's still being mended. She can take James' place before he comes. I told her driver that Tidmouth is more comfortable than Knapford Sheds so she's coming here tonight."

Percy grinned broadly.

Soon Emily puffed in.

"Hello everyone." puffed Emily as she backed in.

"Hello Emily," peeped Percy.

Just then, James puffed onto the turntable. He looked from left to right in the shed, but there weren't any berths."

"Somebody has to move!" cried James.

"I'm not. I'm perfectly comfortable." said Percy modestly.

James glared.

"I'm not moving to a smelly old goods shed either." grunted Gordon.

"But what about me?" spluttered James.

"Sleep at Knapford," suggested Emily, "It's nice there. Murdoch and Harvey kept me in good company."

James was appalled, but before he could say anything else, his driver pulled the regulator.

"Come on ol' boy, you have to sleep someplace."

"No, I hate Knapford Sheds. Please!" whined James as he puffed away.

"What was all that about?" Emily asked.

Nobody said a word. Only Percy let out a quiet giggle of triumph.

At Knapford Sheds, James winced as he puffed between Harvey and Murdoch.

Oh ello there James!" said Harvey, "What are you doing here?"

"I have to sleep here; Tidmouth's all filled." explained James grumpily.

"Oh joy…" grumbled Murdoch, "Now it's going to get noisy."

James sighed as he tried to go to sleep, but Harvey started to chat about the time he rescued Percy when he first arrived.

"It was tough, and I was under a lot of pressure, but I managed to pull him up!" Harvey said.

James only rolled his eyes.

"That was lame!" fumed Murdoch, "Now shut up and let me sleep!"

That caused an argument between Harvey and Murdoch.

James groaned as he shut his eyes.

The next morning, James yawned; he had barely slept with the arguing that had occurred.

"Botheration!" he sighed as he puffed into Tidmouth.

He yawned and closed his eyes as he backed down onto a line of coaches.

"Um... James?" said a voice.

James opened a sleepy eye and yawned.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"Those are my coaches."

James opened his eyes in surprise to find Emily in front of him.

"What the?"

James then looked back, and they were indeed Emily's coaches.

"Oh..."

James was embarrassed as he puffed into the shed.

"Hello Rusty Red!" laughed Percy.

James looked over and groaned.

"So how was your night?" Percy asked cheekily.

"Not very well, thanks to you I bet," grumbled James.

Just then Gordon puffed into the shed for a rest.

"Who is this?" asked Gordon pompously.

"Take no notice. He's not worthy of our shed." whispered Percy.

"Oh no, of course not! He's not able to sleep here because he's a bossy boiler!"

"Right, but that's not all! He hates being dirty! Well, with all our soot we'd be no good for him!" continued Percy.

Gordon chuckled.

"Indeed! James, you really should consider someplace where we aren't such a bother to your beauty sleep!"

James could grunt furiously as the two engines laughed.


End file.
